In a principal aspect the present invention comprises to a device designed to retain a contractors pencil sharpener properly positioned for use on a tool belt or the like.
Contractors typically use a specially configured carpenter""s pencil which is flat-sided and in the form of a plate. The pencil includes a broad, thick center lead section or portion which enables the contractor or user of the pencil to scribe a heavy line on items which are to be aligned, cut or otherwise require a visible mark to enable the contractor to perform a job. Such pencils must be constantly sharpened. A pencil sharpener is available that is designed especially for the sharpening of contractor""s pencils. Such pencil sharpeners are of a type which include a main body member that holds a sharpening blade adjacent a passage through the body member. A pencil holder is rotatably mounted on the top of the body member and aligns a pencil in the holder appropriately with respect to the blade so that upon insertion of the pencil through the holder and into the body member, rotation of the pencil and the holder, will impinge the pencil tip against the blade retained in the body member thereby sharpening the point of the pencil. Such sharpeners are usually kept by the contractor or worker in a pocket and removed from the pocket when it is necessary to sharpen the point or tip of the pencil.
A problem that arises is obtaining easy and quick access to the sharpener. Another problem is loss of the sharpener since it is constantly being put into and removed from a pocket, tool case or the like. Thus, there has developed the problem of ease of access and retention of a contractor""s pencil sharpener.
Briefly, the invention comprises a retainer for mounting a contractor""s pencil sharpener and retaining the sharpener on a tool belt or the like. The retainer is utilized in combination with a pencil sharpener of the type having a body member with a lower end flange and which further includes a pencil holder portion rotatably mounted on the body member so that a pencil may be inserted into the holder and extend axially therethrough for rotation about the axis while positioning the axis or tip against a blade retained by the body member. The retainer or mounting device for the sharpener includes a circumferential loop which holds and retains the body member of the sharpener. Further, a cantilever spring clip or spring member is provided to fit over, engage and hold the flange of the pencil sharpener body member. The retainer or mounting device loop and spring member are both mounted on a triangular support plate which may be fastened to a tool belt or the like so that the sharpener and the retainer for the sharpener may be appropriately retained in an accessible position oriented for ease of use.
Thus it is an object of the invention to provide an improved contractor""s pencil sharpener and retainer which may be easily incorporated or attached to a tool belt, tool case or the like.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, yet rugged and durable retainer or mounting device for a contractor""s pencil sharpener.
Another object of the invention is to provide a retainer or mounting device for receiving a contractor""s pencil sharpener wherein the retainer is designed to permit attachment of the sharpener thereto as well as removal therefrom for replacement of the sharpener.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.